Team USA Recap Gravel Nats 1130x600
Gravel
CX
Team USA

Team USA Recap: Lauren Stephens and Brennan Wertz win 2024 Gravel National Championships; ProCX season kicks off as MTB and Road Conclude

By: Anne Stein  September 16, 2024

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks (September 3-17)

GRAVEL

 

2024 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships: Gering, Nebraska
 

(September 8)Lauren Stephens (Cynicsa Cycling) won the elite women’s race for the second year in a row and Brennan Wertz (Mosaic Cycles) earned the elite men’s title at this year’s USA Cycling Gravel National Championships, held in Gering, Nebraska. 

 

Sporting her National Champion stripes, Stephens crossed the line 1:21 ahead of Lauren DeCrescenzo(Factor/The Feed/Maxxis/Catelli/PERC) who placed 2nd, and 2:46 head of Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless) who placed 3rd in the 131.1 mile pro race.

 

With just a few kilometers to go, 12 elite men battled it out for the title, with Wertz sprinting for a six-second victory to claim the national champion’s jersey. John Borstelmann (Slowtwitch Goodlife Racing/Ventum/Voler) placed 2nd and Colby Simmons (Team Visma/Lease-a-Bike) was 3rd

 

Elite and amateur cyclists from age groups 11-12 through 90-94 competed for gravel national titles in 42 categories, including Para, age-group and single-speed over four different courses: 131.1 miles, 88.2 miles, 56.9 miles, and 24.8 miles. Elite cyclists competed for a $40,000 prize purse.

 

Next year’s national championships will take place in September 2025 in La Crescent, Minnesota, which will also host the 2026 event.

 

Race recap here

Complete results here

 

CYCLOCROSS

 

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross Cyclocross Race: Roanoke, VA

 

(September 14-15)The 2024 Trek USCX Series kicked off in Roanoke over the weekend at Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross, with two days of UCI C1 and C2 racing featuring cyclists from around the globe. 

 

In Saturday’s C1 races, Americans Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD Trek Bikes), Kerry Werner (Groove Auto Off Road Racing) and Scott Funston (Cervelo Orange Living) swept the top three spots in the elite men’s event.

 

Katie Clouse (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) was the top-placing American in the elite women’s race in 5th, behind French winner Helene Clauzel. Benjamin Bravman (Bear National Team), Garrett Beshore (Boulder Junior Cycling) and Dylan Haynes (Boulder Junior Cycling) placed 1-2-3 in junior men’s racing, while Ada Watson (CXD Trek Bikes) and Rachel Lev-Tov (Boulder Junior Cycling) placed 1st and 3rd in the junior women’s event. 

 

Sunday’s C2 racing saw repeat winners, with Andrew Strohmeyer again taking first for elite men, followed by Kerry Werner and Marcis Shelton (Bear CX) in 2nd and 3rd. Katie Clouse placed 5thagain in the elite women’s race. 

 

Benjamin Bravman, Garrett Beshore and Dylan Haynes repeated their 1-2-3 placings in junior men’s racing, while Ada Watson captured 1st again in junior women’s, followed by Rachel Lev-Tov and Alyssa White (Finkraft Junior Cycling Team) in 2nd and 3rd

 

There will be three more weekends of CX racing in this series, which concludes October 5-6 in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Next up is Rochester Cyclocross, September 21-22, in Rochester, NY. 

 

Complete results here

 

ROAD

Vuelta a España: Spain

 

(August 17-September 8) – After three weeks and 3,200 kilometers of racing, the four Americans who started the Tour of Spain in mid-August --  Sepp Kuss (Team Visma/Lease a Bike), Brandon McNulty(UAE Team Emirates), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech) and teammate Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech) -- crossed the finish line on Sunday in Madrid. Defending champion Kuss, who was returning from several months off due to injury and illness, placed 12th overall for the top spot among the USA contingent.  

 

Riccitello was 4th in the Youth category and 30th overall. McNulty won the Stage 1 time trial and had a top-10 stage placing. 

 

Complete results here

 

Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec: Canada

 

(September 13)Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) placed 8th and Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) was 11th at this year’s Québec Cycling Grand Prix. The 200 kilometer, 16-lap race, which climbs, circles and descends past Québec City landmarks, was run under sunny skies and featured enthusiastic crowds along the 12.6 kilometer route.

 

Complete results here

MOUNTAIN BIKE 

 

UCI MTB World Cup DH: Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France

 

(September 6-8) – It was a wet and raining weekend in Loudenvielle for the downhill racers. Americans Gavin Tomlinson (The Gravity Collective), Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) and Bode Burke(Outlaw United) qualified for the junior men’s final in World Cup DH mountain bike action at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, in the French Pyrénées.

 

Tomlinson had his best race of the season and was the top-placing American, capturing 6th in the final.

 

With one World Cup remaining, Junior DH World Champion Vermette is 2nd overall in junior men’s standings for the season.  Matilda Melton (Transition Factory Racing) and Kale Cushman (The Gravity Collective) are 7th and 8th in junior women’s DH; Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) is 6thoverall for elite women; and Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory) and Luca Shaw (Canyon Collective Factory) stand 7th and 8th overall among elite men.

 

Complete results here

 

 

TRACK

 

Collegiate Track National Championships: Breinigsville, PA

 

(September 12-15) – Hundreds of collegiate cyclists vied for national champion titles over three days of racing at Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Pennsylvania, with the top individual titles going to Stephanie Lawrence (Marian University) who won the Women’s Omnium, and Dillon Geary (Milligan University) who captured the Men’s Omnium title.

 

Varsity Team Omnium and Co-Ed Team Sprint titles were won by Marian University, while University of Colorado, Boulder earned the Club Team Omnium title.

 

Day one’s Team Pursuit winners were Colorado Mesa University (Women) and Milligan University(Men). Noah Mandow (Santa Monica College) won the Men’s Sprint Final, while Stephanie Lawrence(Marian University) took home gold in the Women’s Sprint final. 

 

Day two’s Individual Pursuit winners were Olivia Cummins (Colorado Mesa University) and Dillon Geary (Milligan University). Stephanie Lawrence (Marian University) won the Women’s Scratch Race, while Adin Papell (Milligan University) took Men’s Scratch gold. 

 

Rita Fedewa became the first female cyclist in Belmont Abbey College history to win a national championship when she captured 500 meter Time Trial gold. Mateo Marasas (Lindsey Wilson College) won the Men’s Kilo Time Trial. 

 

Javiera Munoz (Milligan University) won the Women’s Points race while Dillon Geary (Milligan University) won the Men’s Points race.

 

Roundup story here

Complete results here